Li Tuo never expected that he would come to Marshal Zeng's residence on Nanheng Street to test the Marshal's background and help the court settle matters, but he unexpectedly heard about Marshal Zeng's struggle history.
This history of struggle is not only thrilling, but even ghostly!
However, after Li Tuo came to his senses from the ghost story, he gradually understood Zeng Guofan's subtext. There are many things in officialdom that cannot be stated clearly and you have to figure it out carefully.
Zeng Guofan's meaning is very simple, that is, your court cannot use this fan to blackmail me. Don't you just want to accuse me of corruption? I know that we literati, especially those of my age, cherish our feathers and treasure our reputation after death.
If I don't bow my head today, you will have to pour sewage on me, right?
In order to suppress us Han ministers with military power, you Cixi really did everything possible! Isn’t it just to prevent us from going to war over the Beacon Fire Incident?
But I, Zeng Guofan, will tell you today, don’t threaten me, I won’t do this!
Why should I give gifts to Mu Zhanga? I am not afraid of writing this truth in the history books. I give gifts because I want to be an official. Why do I want to be a high official?
It's not that I, Zeng Guofan, am greedy for wealth, but when I first entered the officialdom, I encountered a major change that had not happened in China for three thousand years, that is, the invasion of Western barbarians from the sea!
China was completely defeated and had no power to fight back. Hong Xiuquan even used a little bit of Western Yi religion to start a rebellion!
These are all major disasters caused by the collapse of the sky. Who will mend the sky? Facts have proved that it was me, Zeng Guofan, and a group of Han ministers who made up for it! Our purpose as high officials is to mend the cracks in the sky!
Don't forget that your Manchu country was saved by our Hanchen warlords. Without our efforts, even if you didn't destroy the country, you would still have to conquer the river!
Now you want to find me guilty of giving gifts through the back door? Damn it, go ahead and dream!
Are you threatening me with the lives of seventy members of Nasaronga's family? This is moral kidnapping! I don't want this!
This was what Zeng Guofan was thinking, but he still didn't say it clearly. He told Yi Siha a ghost story in a circumstantial manner, and Li Tuo couldn't keep up with the idea.
Zeng Guofan pointed at the rented house, "Master Li, why do you think I'm still renting here? Why don't I buy real estate in the capital? That's because I want to remind myself not to forget my roots!"
"I have been renting a house here in Caishikou since Shujishi, and the annual rent has been rising from 33 taels. If the official becomes bigger and bigger, the house will also increase!"
"33 taels, 67 taels... until the last second-grade top wear, the annual rent cost 610 taels of silver. Now that the war is over, I have returned to Caishikou. I have rented all this house. It costs 610 taels a year. The sales amounted to 1,060 taels of silver..."
"This land records my growth history, the beginning of my struggle... I can't live without it! You mean the mansion awarded by the imperial court? Haha... Why do I need that thing? Do I still lack a house to live in? "
"Even if I, Zeng Guofan, travel around the world right now, which country will not give me a place to sleep?"
Speaking of this, Zeng Guofan smiled and said, "Master Li... I wonder how the Queen Mother dealt with the house in Salonga?"
Li Tuo blushed, "Ah... this..."
Yi Siha watched anxiously and said for him, "The Queen Mother has rewarded the house in Xiangbikeng to Mr. Li..."
"It's not a reward... Oh, don't talk nonsense... It's a lease... it was leased to me by the Ministry of Internal Affairs..." Li Tuo quickly grabbed Bai's explanation.
Zeng Guofan nodded, "You are considered a smart person! But it's a pity... No matter how smart you are, you are just Zhang Jing. If your official position is too small, your smartness will be revealed, which is not a good thing!"
"For example, this house...I dare to refuse the reward from the court, but you, Li Tuo, don't dare!"
"Okay, I'm tired...Old farmer, give me a gift!" At this point, Zeng Guofan served tea to the guests and prepared to go back to rest.
Li Tuo stood up, looked embarrassed and smiled bitterly, "Thank you, Marshal, for your teaching... But this matter about the Salonga family... Marshal, do you really have nothing else to say?"
Zeng Guofan stopped and turned to look at Li Tuo, "Tell the Queen Mother... just say thank you to the Queen Mother for the fan!" After that, he turned around and left.
The old farmer stretched out his hand and said, "Sir, please..."
Li Tuo, Isiha and their entourage left the Zeng Mansion dejectedly. After arriving at Mishi Alley, Isiha asked anxiously, "Master Li... what on earth is going on? What on earth are we doing?" How should we deliver the goods?"
Li Tuo grimaced, "We are too young, too young... We thought we could use seventy lives to force the commander, but in the end, the commander even moved out..."
"Oh my God... The Marshal is too old. If he were ten years younger, who in the court could beat him? We all think too simply..."
"Let's go... I can only say what I have to say, but don't worry too much, a big shot like this won't do anything right... The commander-in-chief will think about it when he comes back!"
Li Tuo went back to the palace to pay errands, but in the inner house Zeng Guofan was leaning on the soft couch with his eyes closed and meditating as if he had aged a few years. The fan was placed on the coffee table.
After the old farmer entered the house, he waved his hand and asked the girl who was beating his legs to go out. He personally massaged a few acupuncture points on the Marshal's legs. As expected, he was a master of the family. After the soreness and numbness, Marshal Zeng's chest was still numb. Really feel less depressed.
"gone?"
"Yes, let's go!"
"Hey... what a pity for such a good talent. Li Tuo, Li Tuo, Li Tuo... is a good man in official circles!"
The old farmer rubbed his acupuncture points and whispered, "It's a pity that Cixi took it away..."
"It's no pity. Anyway, we don't want to take any further steps. Whatever talents we are trying to grab, just take it lightly!"
The old farmer raised his head and said, "Then are our people still moving?"
The Hunan Army is a powerful force. Many of the direct descendants of the Hunan Army are preparing to put pressure on the imperial court during the Beacon Fire Incident. Some newspapers in Jiangnan are even preparing to start.
Zeng Guofan really wanted to take this opportunity to beat the Manchus and scare these stubborn things, but he didn't expect Cixi to act so quickly and strike so hard!
"Originally, I thought of using the beacon fire incident to suppress the Manchus... Let them give up some more official positions and gain more power for us Hanchen..."
"But I didn't expect... I didn't expect that they would use seventy lives to force me! Damn it... Damn it..."
Zeng Guofan slapped the coffee table angrily, and the fan jumped back and forth.
The old farmer said with a cruel look, "If you die, die! Salong'a is a Manchu anyway, so we won't feel bad if we die! How about we take action and let the newspapers in Jiangnan start publicizing it first..."
But unexpectedly, Zeng Guofan waved his hand, "Stop making trouble... Stop making trouble... After all, it's seventy lives! They are also descendants of my master..."
"They are unkind, we cannot be unjust! I have killed too many people in my life... People are dying, and I really don't want to cause more killings!"
"Have a rest! Everyone, have a rest... By the way, didn't Hu Xueyan give me a handful of small jade Ruyi the year before last?"
"Find it out...send it to Cixi...just say it's my thank you gift in return...I thanked her for the fan...haha...as you wish, as she wishes!"
No matter how high Zeng Guofan's methods were, he could not cross the moral threshold in his heart: the king of heaven and earth, the teacher, benevolence, justice, propriety, wisdom and trust! These invisible things have always been binding him and have never disappeared!
